Knitting machine and method



- Sept. 10, 1940. H M. ZIPPEL' KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Dec. 3, l93 3 Sheets-sheaf l II/IIIIIIA own rm? Sept. 10, 1940. H. M. ZIPPEL KNITTING IACHINE AND METHOD Filed Dec. 5. 193' s Sheets-Shut 2 Patented Sept. 10,- 1940 nnrrrina PATENT omen M. Zippel, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application This invention relates to a knitting method and 7 machine, and has particular reference to a method and machine for knitting gloves.

Heretofore, gloves, when knitted in tubular form, have been knitted sectionally, that is, the palm portion has been knitted and then the palm portion has been transferred to another machine for successive operations in the formation of the fingers; each finger being formed separately. The necessity for transfer and the use of considerable time for the formation separately of the fingers of the glove have substantially reduced the rate of formation of these gloves and hence made such gloves costly.

In. accordance with the present invention, gloves are made by a novel process continuously, one after the other, on a machine without the necessity for .any transfer operations and in a fashion permitting the fingers of the gloves to he knit simultaneously. In the preferred-embodlment of the invention, this is carried out by first knitting in tubular form the wrist portion of a glove, then widening 'to form the palm. After a portion of the palm has been knit to the point" where the thumb portion of the glove should begimknitting continues with the addition of another yarn in such fashion that in alternate courses the yarn which has been knitting the palm continues to knit the palm and in intermediate courses the other yarn forms the thumb portion continuously with the palm on certain of the nee-' dles which had previously knit the palm. Then when the position is reached for the formation of the other fingers, another sequence takes'place whereby in every other course tubes are simultaneously produced to form the thumb, second and fourth fingers and in intermediate courses tubes are produced to form the first and third fingers. When a tube sufflciently long toform the thumb has been completed, the formation of the thumb tube is interrupted and laterthe formation of the fourth fln'ger'tube is interrupted. Finally, when the three intermediate finger tubes are completed the formation of the, wrist again begins, and the operation is, repeated. Thus the final product is a series of gloves which maybe cut apart and finished by stitching. The accomplishment of this method, which is the primary object of the invention, together with other objects of theinvention; relating particularly'to the provision of a machine for carry out the improved process and capable of other uses, as will be obvious hereafter, will become an- 55 parent from the'following description, read be knit;

December 3, 1937, Serial No. 177,845 15 Claims. (Cl. 66-65) conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in

' which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section taken through the improved machine as set up for the herniation of gloveswhich are illustrated therein;

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the plane indicated at 2 in Figure 1;'

Figure 3 is a vertical section indicated at 3' in Figure l;

Figure 4 is'a vertical section taken on the plane indicated at 4 in Figure l; p

Figure 5 is a plan view of certain controlling devices for determining the yarns which are to taken on the plane Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a controlling cam plate, also illustrated in Figures 1 and 5;

Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the throws of the various yarn-carrying fingers; and

Figure 81s a' diagram illustrating the various sequences of operations involved in the formation of a glove.

The machine illustrated in the present application is of the general type referred to in my prior Patent 1,992,982, dated March 5, 1935. While in said patent the machine illustrated is of large size designed to produce large sections of cloth,

the present machine may be considered substantially a modification of thatmachine on a very While in the machine of much smaller scale. the patent particular stress is laid on the formation of designs of elaborate character, it will be obvious that this type of machine by the proper control'of the needles'may be made to form tubes of both simple and complex designs, and the controlling devices for the needles and cooperating elements for the formation of such designs may be utilized in the machine of the present application. Accordingly, the needle controls are herein illustrated only in conventionalized fashion, it being understood thatso far as details are concerned the features described in my prior patent may be used with such well known modifications and under such well known limitations as are consistent withthe formation of tubular fabric. For convenience in describing the present invention, it will be considered that the machine of the present application is being used to knit plain tubular fabric. It will also be clear that a number of these machines may be associated with common con-' trols for simultaneous production operations. I The machine comprises 'a frame 2 carrying dle supports 4 within which there'reciprocate two banks of needles 6 arranged in intersecting rela- F course. By this jacquard mechanism, the alternate formations of finger courses are effected as well as widening from the wrist to the palm, .etc. The jacquard mechanism may also function for patterning in the usual fashion. The needles are controlled in the usual fashion by cams in carriers 8 arranged to be reciprocated longitudinally of the machine along guideways 9. The carriers 8 are joined by means of a yoke I 0 extending upwardly over the yarn carrying mechanism. Reciprocation is effected through conventional driving means not illustrated.

Brackets I2 and I4 carry cam blocks I6 and I8 in which are formed cam grooves 20 and 22 as illustrated in Figure 1. Within these cam grooves there extend pins 24 and 26 carried by a set of yarn carrier guide rods 28, there being four such rods 28 and corresponding sets of cam grooves 20 and 22 formed as indicated hereafter. As illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the yarn carrier guide rods 28 support for longitudinal movement thereon a number of yarn carriers 80, 32, 34, 86, 88 and 40. The carriers 80 and are mounted on individual rods 28, while the pair of carriers 82 and 84 are mounted on the third rod and a pair of carriers 86 and 88 on a fourth rod. These various carriers support yarn feeding fingers 42 so arranged that certain of the fingers may clear others if one or the other groups is raised by reason of the longitudinal movement of the corresponding guide rods 28, so as to cause the pins 24 and 26 to ride into the upwardly extending portions of the cam grooves 20 and 22. Thus if the rods carrying all the carriers except 80- are raised the carrier 80 may move with its yarn finger 42 in active position, moving below the other yarn fingers which are raised. The various operations attendant upon selection of yarn fingers will be made clear hereafter in discussing the specific formation of a certain product.

A series of levers 44 are pivoted on an extension of the bracket I4 and are joined at 46 to their corresponding rods 28, there being one of such levers for each rod. Each lever,- furthermore, has pivoted to it at its upper and lower ends, respectively, plungers 48 and 50, which project to the right of the bracket I4 as viewed on Figure 1. There are provided four vertically slidable members 52 each corresponding to one of the rods 28 and each arranged to be reciprocated vertically by means of an individual lever 54 arranged to be selectively acted upon by lugs on a pattern chain 56. The four pattern chains are advanced simultaneously, passing over simultaneously driven sprockets and being controlled-by a pattern mechanism of conventional type so as to have step by step movements. At its upper end each of the slides 52 supports a plunger 58 pressed toward the right as indicated in Figure 1 by a spring 60. A block 62 is arranged to reciprocate on a pair of rods 68 and carries four pairs of upper and lower adjustable abutment screws 64 and 66 arranged to be aligned with the various plungers 58. Motion is imparted to the slide 62 through the medium of a rocking lever 10 engaging a cam groove I2 in a cam I4 carried by the main shaft 15 of the machine. By this means the slide 62 is reciprocated once in the formation of each complete course by the machine.

The yoke I0'has pivoted to it a set of levers 18, in the present case six, one for each yarn carrier. These levers are jointed so as to have a yielding free end 80 normally pressed downwardly by a spring 82. Each lever I8 is normallyurged in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 1 by a spring 86. The right hand end of each lever is formed asa follower adapted to ride upon various lugs hereafter referred to carried by a cam plate 88. Cams 90.and 92 are provided on the rods 28 for the purpose of releasing the yielding ends '80 of the levers 18 from the notches 84 in the tops of the yarn carriers within which they engage for moving said carriers. Lateral clearances are provided so such release may take place.

In order to determine the yarn carriers which are to be reciprocated there is provided on the yoke I0 a rocking lever 84 to the ends of which are pivoted slides 96 and 98, the former being secured to the plate 88 as indicated in Figure 5. The slide 96 is provided at its outer end with a series of steps. I00, while the slide 88 is provided with a similar series of steps I02. A set of pins I04, eight in number and staggered vertically, as indicated in Figure 1, are carried by a vertical slide I06 arranged to be reciprocated through a push rod IIO by means of a lever I08 which is arranged to ride upon lugs of another pattern chain drivenin unison with the pattern chains 56. As indicated inFigure 6 rods I04 are aligned with the various steps I00 and I02 so that any selected step of either of these sets may engage with its corresponding pin I04 by the proper vertical positioning of the sets of pins. Cam lugs II 2 on the'plate 88 cooperating with the right hand ends of the levers l8 determine the engagement of the various yarn carriers for reciprocating movement.

The improved method of knitting a glove will be most readily understood by considering the various portions of a glove illustrated in Figure l and the diagrammatic illustrations of Figures 7 and 8, taken particularly in conjunction with the cam arrangement illustrated in Figure 6 and the feeding finger arrangement of Figure 4. The various feedingfingers are desirably associated in the manner illustrated for the sake of simplicity. The carrier 80, mounted on the left hand bar illustrated in Figure 4, carries the palm yarn.

The carriers 82 and 84, mounted on the second bar illustrated in Figure 4, carry respectively the fourth and second finger yarns. The carriers 86 and 88, mounted on the third bar, carry respectively the third and first finger yarns. The carrier 40, mounted on bar 28, carries the thumb yarn. 1

As viewed in Figure 1, the bar which supports the palm yarn carrier 80 is arranged to rise as it moves to the left so as to move its carrier out of operation in a left hand movement and restore it to operation by'aright hand movement. The remaining bars, with the exception of the thumb carrier bar are similarly arranged. The thumb carrier bar has an opposite action, moving to the right to go up out of action and to the left to go down into action. Due to the fact that carriers 32 and 84 are mounted on the same bar, they go into or out of action simultaneously. The same is true of the carriers 86 and 88.

Referring to Figure 7, there are indicated diagrammatically therein by the horizontal lines the paths of movements of the various yarn carriers indicated therein, the yarns carried by these cardies forming the fingers and the thumb are umns extending vertically in Figure 7. The same riers being designated at the left hand side of this figure. The extents of the variousgroups of nee indicatedby the colcolumns are continued through Figure 8. The

range of movement of a. particular yarn carrier is determined by the positions of its corresponding cams 9D and 92, which are illustrated on the horizontal lines of Figure '7 by the short vertical strokes. The figure accordingly indicates that the yarn carrier 30 position to the left ofthe fourth finger needles to a position to the right of the thumb needles under the action of its driving lever l8. S'nniIarly the fourth finger yarn carrier 32 moves from a position to the left of the fourth finger needles to the right thereof, the second finger yarncarrier moves from a position to the left of the sec-- ond finger needles to the right thereof, the third finger yarn carrier moves from a position to the left of the third. finger needles to the'right thereof, the first finger yarn carrier moves from a position to the left of the first finger needles to the right thereof and the thumb yarn carrier moves from a position to the left of the thumb needles to the right thereof. .It will be noted that the ranges of movements of the fourthfinger, second finger andthumb yarn carriers do not overlap-the same being true of the third and first finger yarn carriers.

With the above explanation, the preferred method of formation of a glove may be readily understood, considering initially the first course of the inner palm portion I52 at the wrist line IEb. In the formation of this portion of the glove, the needles initially raised into action by the controlling jacquard mechanism are those which are adapted to form the first, second and third fingers. The palm yarn carrier so prior to the formation of this course has occupied an inoperative position indicated at its in Figure 8, in which position it was located at a position above the first finger needles, this position being held due to the left hand and upper position of its bar '28. The first action, therefore, is to effect the right hand and downward movement of this bar, which moves the palm carrier to a position indicated at I68 to the right of the thumb needles, all of the other fingers being now raised out of action by the proper location of their supporting bars. Reciprocation which are to be active are receiving yarn so that the full width tube isfcrmed providing the inner portion of the palminside the thumb. The movements of the palm yarn carrier are indicated diagrammatically at A in Figure 8. U1- timately when the line its is reached, corresponding to the course Just prior to the formation of the thumb, the bar carrying the palm yarn carrier 38 is moved upwardly and to the left to take this yarn carrier out of action after it fourth, third, second and first is capable of moving from a passes the yarn over the the thumb needles are not of the palm yarn carrier now' takes place as indicated at iii the carrier movcarrier moves formation of the alternate courses,

3 has been moved to its extreme right hand position. The position of the carrier when so put out of action is indicated at I12.

Before the next course, the thumbyarn carrier bar is first moved downwardly to the left to move the thumb yarn carrier from its inoperative position ITS. Thereafter, through a complete stroke back to the position I88 where it-is disengaged by its lever 98 and thereafter it is raised to inoperative position to the right as indicated at I82 by a right hand movement of its carrier bar. During this reciprocation of the thumb yarn carrier, the only needles which are raised to take the yarn are the thumb needles, the others being located out of action so that even though the carrier 40 first finger needles, these needles cannot take the yarn, with the consequence that a clean lefthand boundary for the thumb is provided.

After this action, the palm finger is again brought into action and given one complete stroke as indicated at I84. During this stroke raised, while the remaining needles are raised so as to form the tubular outer palm portion indicated at I55. By alternating the actions just described of the thumb and palm yarn carriers as indicated in the region B of Figure 8, alternate courses form the thumb I58 and the outer palm portion of the glove 53, the two tubes thus simultaneously formed being completely separated from each other due to the needle selection.

This action continues until the course indi cated at Itil is reached. Thereupon, as indicated at E86, E83 and 5%, the thumb, second and .fourth finger yarn carriers, respectively indicated at til, 3% and 32, are brought into action by the proper movements of their supporting bars and are given simultaneom complete strokes to form courses of three tubes providing thumb, secand and fourth fingers. During this operation, only the thumb, second finger and fourth finger needles are raised into action, the first-and third finger needles remaining out of action so that even though the yarn carrier movements overlap these needles no knitting occurs thereby. After the course thus formed, the three yarn carriers are raisedout of action and the first and third finger yarn carriers are brought into action andv given simultaneous complete strokes, as indicated at I92 and its, the first and third finger needles being new active while the thumb, sec- 0nd and fourth finger needles are inactive. Thus courses of the first and third finger tubes are formed. These alternate series of courses, indicated at C' in Figure 8, are repeated until there is reached the position indicated at 982 at which the formation of the thumb tube is to cease. At this point, therefore, the thumb yarn carrier is permanently raised out of action. In the next course the thumb needles are raised and again lowered to castofi the loops so that during subsequent knitting the thumb portion is not held on the needles. The formation of alternate pairs of courses continues, the second and fourth finger yarn carriers forming simultaneously their respective coursesand the first and third finger yarn carriers forming theirs. These alternate courses are indicated diagrammatically at D in Figure 8.

This action continues, overlap being prevented by the raising of the proper needles during the until the I'll to its initial operative position it is moved as indicated at I18- course position indicated at I64 is reached, at which position the formation of the fourth finger should cease. In order to cast off the loops held .by the fourth finger needles, an idle course of operation of the machine is effected in which these needles are raised and then lowered. At this time no yarn should be fed to the needles and consequently neither the third nor fourth finger yarn carriers should reciprocate at this time. This idle condition may be effected with the provision of an additional control position of the cam 88 by having the thumb carrier idly move in this course. Since no needlesare raised to take the yarn of the thumb carrier, no knitting occurs. From this position I64 until the position I50 is again reached, only the first, second and third fingers are formed, although the first, second, third and fourth finger carriers are reciprocated, the further formation of the fourth finger being prevented merely by jacquard control of the fourth finger needles to keep them inoperative. Inasmuch as relatively few courses are formed, there is no objection to the idle reciprocation of the fourth finger yarn carrienthough it will be obvious that by additional control through the cams on plate 88 and/or the raising of the fourth finger carrier bar, it could be rendered inoperative in the same fashion as the thumb yarn carrier.

After the first, second and third finger tubes are completed, the position I50 is reached and the next glove formed in the fashion described above. It may be noted that the needles which became inoperative at cessation of formation of.

the thumb and fourth fingersare brought into action one by one on each side during the widening process referred to above.

During the operations mentioned above, selective reciprocations of the yarn carriers are controlled by the selective positioning of cam plate 88, the action of which will be clear from consideration of the cams II2 thereon as illustrated in Figure 6.

The gloves are thus formed in a continuousstrip, as indicated in Figure 1. The gloves are cut from the strip along the lines I50 and the various fingers closed by stitching, the wrist being likewise finished by stitching.

It will be obvious that some slight simplification of the machine may be effected if, instead of forming the portion between the lines I60 and I62 of Figure 1 in two alternate courses, three alternate courses are provided, one for the formation of the thumb tube, one for the formation of the first and second finger tubes and one for the formation of the second and fourth finger tubes. While this makes it possible to eliminate the double cam arrangement illustrated in Figure 6 and so simplifies somewhat the machine construction (making it necessary to provide only six rods I04, for example) it will be obvious that during formation of this portion of the glove by such method a longer time will be required than in the preferred method detailed above.

While there has been specifically described the alternating of single courses to form the various portions of the glove, it will be obvious that variations from this are possible within the scope of the invention. For example, two, or even three,

" courses might be successively formed in the thumb portion and then the same number in the outer palm portion with these groups of courses, rather than single courses, alternated, thus simplifying the pattern control of the machine. However, if groups of courses are thus formed, the groups cannot be too great, since otherwise stretching and distortion of the portion held upon idle needles will occur. When the loops formed are small, however, such groups of pluralities of courses may be alternated. It will be understood, therefore, that where alternation is referred to in the claims it is intended that there should be included the alternations of groups of pluralities of courses.

While the machine has been specifically disclosed adapted for the formation of gloves, it will be obvious that it may be used in other fashions. In fact, it need not be restricted to the formation of tubular fabric, since, as will be obvious from my other patent, the same machine by a proper control of the needles may be made to form flat fabrics containing patterns. In such cases, the machine may be used to form narrow portions as continuations of wider portions by the type of alternation of courses indicated above. In any case, whether fiat or tubular fabric is formed, the invention permits the knitting of two adjacent separate portions on groups of needles with the adjacent needles of the two groups no more spaced from each other than any other needles of the machine, that is, all of the needles I may be operated with no idle needles between the groups forming the separate portions.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: I Q

1-. The method of knitting gloves comprising knitting a tube to provide first a wrist portion, '7 V and then, by gradual widening, an inner palm portion, then knitting in alternate courses, and continuously with the inner palm portion, continuations of said inner palm portion to form an outer palm portion and a thumb portion, thereafter knitting in one of alternate courses of knitting a continuation of said thumb portion and, simultaneously, two tubular extensions of the outer palm portion to provide second and fourth finger portions, and in the other of said alternate courses of knitting two further tubular extensions of the outer palm portion to provide first and third finger portions, interrupting knitting of said thumb portion while continuing knitting in alternate courses of the second and fourth finger portions and the first and third finger portions, then interrupting knitting of said fourth finger portion while continuing knitting in alternate courses of the second finger portion and the first and third finger portions, and thereafter knitting as a continuation of the first, second and third finger portions the wrist portion of a subsequent glove.

2. The method of knitting gloves comprising knitting a tube to provide first a wrist portion, and then, by gradual widening, an inner palm portion, then knitting continuously with the inner palm portion and by alternating sequence of courses continuations of said inner palm portion to form an outer palm portion and a thumb portion, thereafter knitting by alternating sequence of courses continuations of the thumb and outer palm portions to provide thumb and finger portions, courses of the thumb, second and fourth finger portions being formed simultaneously and courses of the first and third finger portions; be-

ing formed simultaneously, interrupting knitting of said thumb portion while continuing the alternate knitting of said finger portions, then interrupting knitting of said fourth finger portion while continuing the alternate knitting of the other finger portions and thereafter knitting as a continuation of the first, second and third finger portions the wrist portion of a subsequent glove. I.

3. The method of knitting gloves comprising knitting a tube to provide an inner palm portion, then knitting continuously with the inner palm portion and by alternating sequence of courses continuations of said inner palm portion to form an outer palm portion and a thumb portion, and thereafter knitting by alternating sequence of courses continuations of the thumb and outer palm portions to provide thumb and finger portions.

4. The method of knitting gloves comprising knitting a tube to provide an inner palm portion, then knitting continuously with the inner palm portion and by alternating sequence of courses continuations of said inner palm portion to form an outer palm portion, a thumb portion, and finger portions, and thereafter knitting as a continuation of the first, second and third finger portions the wrist portion of a'subsequent glove.

5. ,The method of'knitting gloves comprising knitting a tube to provide an inner palm portion, then knitting continuously with the inner palm portion and by alternating sequence of courses continuations of said inner palm portion to form an outer palm portion and a thumb portion, thereafter knitting by alternating sequence of courses continuations of the thumb and outer palm portions to provide thumb and finger portions, courses oi the thumb, second and fourth finger portions being formed simultaneously and courses of the first and third finger portions being formed simultaneously, and thereafter knit- 5 ting 'as a continuation of the first, second and third finger portions the wrist portion oi a subsequent glove.

6. The method of knitting gloves comprising knitting a tube to provide an inner palm portion, thenknitting continuously with the inner palm portion and by alternating sequence of courses continuations of said inner palm portion to form an outer palm portion and a thumb portion, thereafter knitting by alternating sequence of courses continuations of-the thumband outer palm portions to provide thumb and finger portions, courses of at least the second and fourth finger portions being formed simultaneously and courses of the first and third finger portions be- 'ing formed simultaneously, and thereafter knitting as a continuation of the first, second and third finger portions the wrist portion of a subsequent glove.

'7. The method of knitting gloves comprising knitting a tube to provide an inner palm portion, then knitting continuously with the inner palm portion and byalternating sequence of courses continuations of said inner palm portion to form an outer palm portion and a thumb por tion, thereafter knitting by alternating sequence of courses continuations of the thumb and outer palm portions to provide thumb and finger por tions, courses of at least the second and fourth finger portions being formed simultaneously and courses of the first and third finger portions being formed simultaneously, interrupting knit-- ting of said thumb portion while continuing the alternate knitting of said finger portions, then interrupting kmtting of said fourth finger portions while continuing the alternate knitting of the other finger portions, and thereafter knit-1 ting as a continuation or the first, second and third finger portions the wrist portion or a subsequent glove.

8. The method of knitting gloves comprising and then, by gradual widening,

' inneouslt a wrist portion, an inner palm portion, then knitting continuously with the inner palm portion and by alternating sequence of courses continuations of said inner palm portionto form an outer palm portion and a thumb portion, thereafterknitting by alternating sequence of courses continuations of the thumb and outer palm portions to provide thumb and finger portions, courses of at least the second and fourth finger portions being formed simultaneously and courses of the first and third finger portions being formed simultaneously, interrupting knitting of said thumb portion while continuing the alternate knitting of said finger portions, then interrupting knitting of said fourth finger portion while continuing the alternate knitting of the other finger portions, and thereafter knitting as a continuation of the first, second and third finger portions the wrist portion of a subsequent glove. v

9. The method of knitting gloves comprising knitting a tube to provide first a wrist portion, and the by gradual widening, an inner palm portion, thenknitting continuously with the inner palm portion and by alternating sequence of courses continuations of said inner palm portion to form an outer palm portion and a thumb portion, thereafter knitting by alternating sequence' of courses continuations of the thumb and outer palm portions to provide thumb and finger portions, courses of at least the second and fourth'finger portions being formed simulknitting a tube to provide first rupting knitting of said thumb portion while continuing the alternate knitting of said finger portions, then interrupting knitting of said fourth finger portion while continuing the alternate.

knitting of the other finger portions.

ill. The method of knitting tubular fabric on e. knitting machine comprising forming a tube on a group of needles thereof, and forming a plurality'of narrower tubes as continuations of the first tube on sub-groups of saidgroup ofneedles,

yarn carriers movable along the group of needles and adapted to selectively feed yarns to the needies of said sub-groups, and means for alternately actuating said yarn carriers for the alternate formation of courses by the needles of said sub-groups with the yarns forming courses on one sub-group not extending across wales formed by another sub-group.

12. A knitting machine comprising a group of needles including-"at least two sub-groups the,

end needles of which are closely adjacent each other, yarn carriers movable along the group of needles and adapted to selectively feed yarns to the needles of said sub-groups, and means for alternately actuating said yarn carriers for the alternate formation oi courses by the needles of said sub-groups, the carrier which is out of action being movedtransversely to the direction of motions ofthe carriers to provide free passage for the other carrier.

13. A knitting machine comprising a group of needles including at least two sub-groups, the

v and courses of the first and third fino 'ger portions being formed simultaneously, interend needles of which are closely adjacent each other, means for feeding yarns to each of said sub-groups to form alternately courses on said sub-groups with the yarns forming courses on one sub-group not extending across wales'formed by another sub-group, and means for 'eiiecting selective operations of the needles so that the needles of each sub-group fail to take yarn while yarn is being fed to the needles of the other.

14. A knitting machine comprising a group of needles including at least two sub-groups, the end needles of which are closely adjacent each other, means for feeding yarns to each of said sub-groups alternately during the formation of courses by the machine with yarns forming courses on one sub-group not extending across wales formed by another sub-group, and means for efl'ecting selective operations of the needles so that the needles of each sub-group fail to take yarn while yarn is being fed to the needles of the other.

15. A knitting machine comprising a group of needles arranged to 'form a tube of fabric and including at least two sub-groups arranged to form small tubes of fabric as continuations of the first mentioned tube, the end needles of said sub-groups being closely adjacent each other. means for feeding yarns to each of said subgroups to form alternately courses on said subgroups. and means for eil'ecting selective operations of the needles so that the needles of each sub-group fail to take yarn while yarn is being 15 fed to the needles of the other.

HYMAN M. ZIPPEL. 

